Lifetime TV Movie Fatal Honeymoon

Lifetime Movie “Fatal Honeymoon” Airs August 25, 2012 on Lifetime TV

Lifetime TV Movie “Fatal Honeymoon,” premiering August 25, 2012 on Lifetime TV, is based on the true story of newlyweds, David Gabriel “Gabe” Watson (played by Billy Miller) and Tina Watson (played by Amber Clayton). Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, The Piano) plays the character of Tommy Thomas, Tina Watson’s father.

The full length film, ‘Fatal Honeymoon‘ is based on the true story of a honeymoon gone horribly wrong. Gabe Watson and Tina Thomas met one another while studying at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As their relationship grew, they decided to get married and have a honeymoon in Australia.

Tina began taking scuba certification lessons prior to their honeymoon, and Gabe Watson was already a certified rescue diver. They married one another in October 2003, and went on their honeymoon to the Great Barrier Reef 11 days later.

During their honeymoon scuba trip at the Great Barrier Reef, Tina Watson lost consciousness and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. Gabe Watson claimed that the currents were too strong to get to her, and that an ear problem prevented him from going any deeper.

Other divers reported that they saw Gabe give his wife Tina a big bear hug underwater. The theory was that Gabe turned off Tina’s air regulator while engaging in this bear hug with her.

Tina’s father stated that Gabe had asked Tina to raise her life insurance and to make him the sole beneficiary.

In 2008 the Queensland state coroner stated that they had enough evidence to try Gabe Watson for murder. Watson voluntarily traveled to Australia for the trial. Gabe was convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, and was sentenced to 4 ½ years, which were suspended after serving 12 months.

The Attorney General of Alabama, Troy King, wanted Gabe to be prosecuted in the United States. Troy King petitioned to receive documentation and information from the Australian case. King had to promise that the death penalty would not be imposed on Gabe, because according to human rights law, Australia could not export him if he was facing the possibility of death.

On February 23, 2012, an Alabama judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible and dismissed the case.

Prior to his trials, flowers and gifts left on the gravesite of Tina Watson started to disappear. The family set up surveillance to determine who was stealing the flowers and gifts. Even when the gifts were bolted down, they would still disappear.

Surveillance video found Gabe Watson was using bolt cutters to remove the items her family left for her. He later confessed that he did take the items that were left on Tina’s grave and described them as being, “big, gaudy, plastic arrangements.” He was also upset that Tina Watson’s family was accusing him of killing her.

Gabe Watson has remarried, and many say that his wife is a Tina Watson look-alike. In 2012 ABC News conducted an exclusive interview with Gabe Watson. During the interview Watson stated, “”I turned to her, grabbed my inflator hose and motioned to her, you know, Fill it up, thinking that she’s going to understand. Put some air in your (buoyancy compensator) and we’ll start floating up.”